Pressure costs Colorado State women against Fresno State

Points off turnovers key Bulldogs' win in key Mountain West tilt

By Sports Staff

Posted:
01/11/2014 06:14:42 PM MST

Ellen Nystrom
(Tommy Joe Waido)

FRESNO, Calif. -- Sometimes a team has to take one step back before it can take two steps forward.

Off to their best start in a dozen years and riding a seven-game win streak, the Colorado State women's basketball was unable to handle Fresno State's pressure Saturday in a matchup of the only two 3-0 teams in the Mountain West.

A 19-2 run by the host Bulldogs midway through the first half erased an early Rams' lead, giving FSU all the cushion it would need the rest of the way in a 60-50 victory at the Save Mart Center.

"They just amped up their intensity midway though that first half when we had the lead. We didn't handle it very well," said Colorado State coach Ryun Williams, whose team fell to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the MW after its lowest point total of the season. "They got us on our heels and got us out of rhythm. Even when we didn't turn it over, we didn't run very good offensive possessions. Their pressure won tonight."

After recording the first triple-double in school history Wednesday, freshman forward Ellen Nystrom picked up where she left off, scoring nine points in the first 7 minutes to help her team to an early 16-9 lead. But that advantage was erased quickly by the big run by Fresno State, which capitalized on six CSU turnovers during the stretch to take a double-digit lead.

Advertisement

For the game, FSU turned 15 CSU turnovers into 20 points to remain atop the league standings (4-0) and improve to 11-5 overall.

Nystrom finished with a team-best 17 points after having 11 at the break, while Sam Martin was the only other Ram in double figures with 10. FSU senior guard Taylor Thompson led all scorers with 19 points, adding nine rebounds and four assists.

The Rams went on a 10-2 run to start the second half to cut a 37-24 halftime deficit to five, 39-34, after a jumper by Martin with 15:43 to play. But the Rams could never get any closer as they missed their next eight consecutive field goals.

"We had all kinds of chances," said Williams, whose team made just 2 of 11 from the 3-point line. "We still kept fighting and kept creating opportunities. We had a free throw to cut it to four. We had a couple of layups, we had a couple of 3s. I just think our decision making at the most crucial times just wasn't as clean as it needed to be. I think we left six layups out there that we can convert."

The Rams were still within striking distance midway through the second half before five straight points by the Bulldogs put the hosts up by double digits. A 3 by Caitlin Duffy with 3:18 to play kept CSU's chances barely alive, making it a two-possession game at 54-48, but three straight missed field goals by the Rams and free throws by Thompson increased the margin back to double digits with a minute left.

Colorado State returns home to face Utah State on Wednesday at Moby Arena.